From the beginning, when the poem-now-song was first penned, Hatikvah, now the national anthem of Israel, has been controversial, complex, emotional,…

The Hava Nagila ("let us rejoice") is the first modern Jewish folk song in the Hebrew language, composed to celebrate the British victory over the…

Jerusalem of Gold (in Hebrew, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav) is the beloved unofficial national anthem of Israel. The song is probably the most famous…

With a basis in scripture ranging from Miriam’s dance in the Red Sea to the expressive poetry of Psalms, the Jewish people have since the beginning…

Mi Shebeirach is a traditional Hebrew prayer for healing, prayed publicly on behalf of another person who is ill. It starts with calling upon the God…

Efrat, a nonpartisan, nonprofit pregnancy center founded by Herschel Feigenbaum, a Holocaust survivor who passionately believed that “children are…

Yom HaShoah Ve-Hagevurah, often shortened to Yom HaShoah as it is observed globally by the Jewish people, or Holocaust Remembrance Day as it is known…

Yom Kippur (Yom Ha-Kippurim, Shabbat Shabbaton, Sabbath of Solemn Rest, Sabbath of Sabbaths, or the Day of Atonement) is the holiest day on the…

As one of the oldest and most universally recognized symbols of Judaism, a menorah (“lamp” in Hebrew, “menorot” in the plural, and usually refers to…

"See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you this day; and…

Most everyone in the world knows that the Jewish people play with dreidels during Chanukah. Dreidel is a Yiddish term, with “drei” meaning turn;…

Yom Yerushaláyim, or Jerusalem Day, is one of four Israeli national holidays added to the calendar in the 20th century. Jerusalem Day is a jubilant…

Set in the land of the Persian city of Shushan, located in modern-day Iran, the story of Purim (“Festival of Lots,” as derived from the ancient…

Rosh Hashanah, translating to "head of the year" or "first of the year," is commonly known as the Jewish New Year, occurring on the first and second…

"All vows, renunciations, promises, obligations, and oaths taken from this Day of Atonement till the next, may we attain them in peace; we regret them in…

As one of the most popular Chanukah hymns and most well-known Jewish melodies, Ma’oz Tzur (“strong rock of my salvation” in English, with the name…

Many are familiar with the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah (occurring on Tishri 1 and 2) and Yom Kippur (occurring on Tishri 10), but fewer are…

There are more Jewish people in New York City than anywhere else in the world outside of Israel, with more Jews in Brooklyn alone than in Jerusalem…

The end of January and early February tend to be a beautiful time in Israel, with a kaleidoscope of pink and white blossoms peppering the otherwise…

The Star of David (also known as the Shield of David or Magen David) is an internationally recognized emblem of both Israel and the Jewish people,…

Tikkun Olam is a Jewish phrase found in the Mishnah, a collection of rabbinic teachings and oral Jewish traditions dating back to the writings of…

Israel’s Iron Dome (or Kippat Barzel in Hebrew), a land-based all-weather mobile air defense system, was designed to intercept and destroy a range of…

The conflict between Israel and Gaza has a deep, complex history partially rooted in religion. This article will not seek to unpack all of that but…

The Hezbollah (“Party of God” or “Party of Allah” in Arabic) terrorist organization is a byproduct of the 1975 Lebanese civil war, which erupted…

Hamas, an Arabic acronym for Harakat al-Muqawmah al-Islamiyyah (“zeal,” “strength” or “bravery” in Arabic or “Islamic Resistance Movement” in…

Oseh Shalom is both a song and a prayer that encapsulates the Jewish longing for peace, acknowledging God as the source of the blessings of peace and…

Tekhelet is an azure-sapphire-midnight blue, fade-resistant dye mentioned approximately 49 times in the Tanakh, believed to be God’s chosen color for…

Thanks to the prevalence of the Christmas story and nativity scenes, even non-Bible scholars are familiar with the general story of the three wise…

In January of 2023, two members of Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, introduced a bill that would outlaw sharing the love of Jesus (Yeshua…

"Today’s slavery flourishes precisely because slaves are kept invisible, without the ability to make their voices heard. As the voices of the…

Shehecheyanu ("that we are alive") is a generic Jewish blessing said in addition to regular blessings as the Jewish people express gratitude to God…

"Guard our coming and our going; grant us life and peace, now and always. (Siddur Sim Shalom, p. 33) (ufros aleinu sukat sh’lomecha) "Spread over us…

Shema Yisrael ("Hear, O Israel), or the Shema, is the most famous and influential of the Jewish prayers and is central to the Jewish faith. The…

"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the entire Torah; all the rest is commentary” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a).

Though nations around the world may and do choose to honor their own national versions of Holocaust remembrance on different days throughout the…

Charoset, a traditional dish served during the Passover Seder, offers a delightful range of flavors. Generally sweet, sometimes more savory, and…

Challah bread, translated from the Hebrew as referring to a cake, loaf, or morsel of bread, is a well-known food served at the weekly Shabbat as well…

Neither bagels nor lox originated in the Big Apple, or in America, for that matter. Yet the combination of bagels and lox was somewhat accidental and…

Havdalah is a beautiful multi-sensory ceremony and one of the most ancient blessings in Jewish religious life that symbolically marks the end of…

Lecha Dodi (“Come my Friend”) is a well-known eight-stanza hymn of mystical origins that is commonly sung at Friday night synagogue services to usher…

As zikaron le-ma’asei v’reishit ("a memorial to Creation"), Kiddush ("sanctification" or "separation") is a beautiful Shabbat benediction and one of…